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Suki wrote:
"What are all these problems about? The Nuyoricans MTV portrays are what? Hooligans and low lifes? Gang bangers and irresponsable criminals? That is what MTV type idiots usually watch. I hate all those rapper street thuggery types...but if people are dumb enough to think 50 cents and so on and Obama are the same kind of people....because they are both supposedly African Americans....and that Nuyoricans thugs represent the entire Puerto Rican community that resides in New York they are terminally dumb anyway...and nothing will convince them otherwise. "
Black Harvard Professor, Julias Wilson recently wrote a book titled, "MORE THAN JUST RACE", in which he studies the hopelessness of Black urban America, and I would include a large segment of Puerto Ricans, a.k.a. Nuyoricans. And by the way Nuyoricans don't just have to live in New York, Nuyorican is a life style adopted by any Puerto Rican living in Orlando, Houston, Chicago, Denver, etc. etc.
Wilson asks, "Why haven't the problems of the ghettos improved along with race relations generally?
Answer: The liberal solutions of the 70's, although well intentioned, made a mess of the poor by keeping them locked into ghettos where they developed their own dysfunctional culture, a culture in conflict with the norms of the wider culture around them.
The work ethic, investment in the future and deferred gratification made no sense in an environment in which legitimate employment at a living wage was impossible to find. Thus crime and a sambo life style became the norm. Men unable to support their families, abandoned them. Single women then relied on welfare. Education as a way out of the ghetto became a "White Thing", and kids created their own entertainment via gansta rap, which was later exploited $$$$$$$ by whites running MTV. Clothing styles and language like du-rags, gold teeth, bling, falling pants, constant use of the F word etc. etc., became a mark of distinction and pride despite running into conflict with the larger culture.
Without knowing it, ghetto Blacks became an income source $$$$$$ for MTV whites thus their rational in perpetuating this way of life and its conflicts with the larger culture.
Puerto Ricans were also caught into this new culture. We even found a new name for ourselves, "Nuyoricans". This culture rapidly spread to Puerto Rico where it found acceptance in the houseing projects of most large urban areas of the island.
So, what should we do?
Should we defend this stlye of life and perpetuate it just because they are Puerto Ricans, or should we try to help them?
That is the same dilema facing Black Americans.
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